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What was a swamp with deep ravines in 1992 was turned into India's best stadium within a span of two years. The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium at Mohali, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, is a truly world-class venue with excellent practice facilities, spectator-friendly outlook and sufficient provisions for the media. The pitch at Mohali had the reputation of being the livliest in the country - India were even rolled over for 83 on the first morning against New Zealand in 1999 - but it changed complexion drastically over the next few years and turned into a dead pitch producing high-scoring draws. There have also been some cracking one-dayers played on this ground, the most thrilling being the World Cup semi-final in 1996 when Australia squeezed past West Indies in a nail-biting finish.
(Siddhartha Vaidyanathan)